


Snap Decision

by tisalo



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Mild Language, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 19:25:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11259384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tisalo/pseuds/tisalo
Summary: Her sister, Prim, had insisted she download the Snapchat app. So technically, it was her fault that she was in this predicament to begin with. Well, Madge had also put the idea in Katniss's head, so she could shoulder some of the blame too.





	Snap Decision

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my very first fanfic, completely unbeta'ed, so all mistakes are mine. I am certainly not a writer by trade, but I love these characters so much and have been inspired over the years by the amazing authors in this fandom. So, I decided to give writing a shot myself. Thanks to Love in Panem for hosting the new author's challenge. I would absolutely love any constructive criticism and feedback! (Please be gentle if you can!) You can also find me on tumblr at hellotisalo.
> 
> And I think I'm supposed to say I don't own anything! :)

"What's the point of being in a relationship if you don't get to see the goods?" Madge asks Katniss while they're sitting in the District High School cafeteria, picking at cold slices of pizza.

"I don't know Madge. We've only been dating a couple of months. I don't see why he can't be perfectly happy with conversation," she replies.

"Yeah, but Katniss, he's a college boy now. And an hour away at Panem State for that matter! You never know what kind of freshman ass he's surrounded by."

"Ever the poet, Undersee." Katniss couldn't help but roll her eyes at her best friend. But she has to admit Madge does have a better track record with relationships. Maybe Katniss should take the bait. "Besides, I wouldn't even know how to send him a sexy photo. That's you, not me."

Katniss was right, but Madge at least had the decency to look perturbed.

"Well, I can only give you my opinion. And my opinion is that every guy likes to see his girl's goods every once in a while."

The bell signifying the end of lunch rings before Katniss can respond. As the two say their goodbye's and part for class, she can't help but admit that maybe Madge has a point.

\-----

It isn't like Katniss is in love with Gale. It isn't even like she's looking to take things further than phone calls and the occasional date when he's able to come home for a weekend. But, he had been her best friend before they finally decided to date and she would be lying if she said a part of her isn't terrified that everything is one bad interaction away from going pear shaped. They make a good team, but she wonders if that's good enough to make a relationship work.

So, after she gets home from school and puts dinner in the over for Prim, she decides to stop thinking about it and just get it over with.

Her and Gale had only been officially together for a few months, so she decides to be more subtle than a straight up boob shot. After all, the furthest they've gone is second base. If she's going to send a nude, she wants to at least try and be tasteful about it.

Pulling a deep breath into her lungs, she removes her cream shirt and the lace tank top she wears underneath. Unbuttoning her jeans, she slides them down her hips and onto the floor before laying back on her hunter green comforter.

Even though she is completely alone, and hasn't done anything more than lay on her bed in her underwear, her nerves are demanding to be calmed.

She looks around her tiny bedroom. Just big enough for her twin bed, desk, chest of drawers, and night stand. The cork board above her desk is filled with pictures. Her and Madge two summers ago at Madge's family lake house. Her mother with a big smile, her arm securely wrapped around Prim. And one black and white shot of Gale. Katniss had snapped it while the two of them were fishing. He's holding a rod, his face staring out at the lake in concentration. Maybe she had printed it because it was the first time she remembered thinking it wouldn't be such a terrible idea to take him up on his offer of a date.

Taking another deep breath, she pulls her phone off of her night stand and opens Snapchat. She can't believe what she's about to do, but at least it would only a be 10 second clip. After that, it'd be gone. Right? What harm could it do.

She holds the phone above her torso. It takes a few tries to get the angle just right. The top of the photo cuts off right at the bottom of her breasts, exposing just the slightest sliver of rounded skin and the soft orange fabric of her bra. The bottom stops right at her hip bones and she's curved her hips to the side in an attempt to look enticing instead of awkward. The afternoon light lays in a slant over her firm abdomen, her olive skin contrasting nicely with the dark comforter. She's surprised at how much she likes the image. It's a glorified shot of her belly button, really, but it is the perfect amount of exposure for Katniss. She is so pleased with herself, she has to save a copy of it to her phone before sending it to Gale.

Her only recent contacts were Prim and Madge, so she scrolls down to the Ps until she finds Gale's username. She can't help but roll her eyes at the name he'd chosen- _prblynthewoods_. If he wasn't in class, the woods were probably exactly where he was.

She backs out of the screen to double check that she set the image to last 10 seconds and navigates back to his user name to send it off. She'd included the text "Can't wait to see you." with a wink emoji, and her heart is pounding. She expels the breath she's been holding as she locks her phone and tosses it onto her bed.

Pulling her jeans and tank to back on, she tries to calm her mind. She simultaneously can't wait for his response and is dreading it. Glancing at the clock, she notes it's just before six. Dinner will be done any minute and her mother won't be home from her nursing shift for hours. Gale isn't one for constantly checking his phone so she knows it could be a while before he sees her message.

She picks her phone up off her bed and slips it into her back pocket as she makes her way downstairs, calling out to Prim to come eat as she goes.

Their dinner is uneventful, baked spaghetti with a salad. Prim, just starting her freshman year of high school, has plenty to say about her current crush and her class load. She's taking college prep classes in an effort to get ahead; Katniss has never been more proud of her.

After the sisters clean their plates and put away the leftovers for their mother, Katniss glances at her phone. An hour has passed and still nothing from Gale. The nerves that had dissolved in the company of her sister come rushing back. What if he's seen it and thought it was too much? She doubts that, after all, he is the more experienced of the two. But maybe she should have waited for him to make the first move? She's quickly talking herself into a tailspin.

She makes her way back to her bedroom and prepares to spend the rest of her evening working on her homework. Sitting at her desk, surrounded by her books, she can't help but pull her phone out and open the app. At least she can see if he's opened it.

Which is how she comes to learn that she has not sent a nice, if she does say so herself, racy photo to her new boyfriend.

At the top of her list, with a solid red arrow pointing to it, is the username _peetamellark_. She drops her phone like it's a hot coal.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" If her heart was beating fast before, it is threatening to come out of her chest now. Her mind races, trying to figure out how she accidentally clicked on Peeta fucking Mellark instead of her boyfriend.

It isn't like she has a slew of friends on Snapchat. Come to think of it, she doesn't even know why she ever decided to follow Peeta. They weren't friends, not in real life anyway. Sure, they'd been in classes together since kindergarten, but their social interactions could be counted on a single hand.

Carefully, Katniss picks her phone up again. She continues staring at the "delivered" icon as she tries to form a plan. Maybe he never uses Snapchat anymore. He's a busy guy, what with being on every possible sports team and working in his parent's bakery. He is a golden boy, maybe his actual friends send him so many snaps that hers will be pushed to the bottom of the list, never to be seen.

No matter how frantically her mind races, Katniss cannot come up with a way out of this. All she can do is wait for the fallout. Maybe she can catch him at his locker tomorrow and explain her mistake before he sees it. At least she'd decided against a full tit shot. Anybody who'd seen her in a bikini had seen the same amount of skin.

She continues trying to talk herself down and is debating calling Madge for her opinion when it happens.

The tiny red arrow pointing to Peeta's name suddenly becomes hollow, just in time for Katniss's heart to claw its way up her throat and threaten to choke her to death. Suddenly, her phone pings with a notification. 

_"peetamellark replayed your snap."_

Immediately followed by _"peetamellark took a snapshot!"_

Katniss's fear suddenly vanishes in the span of millisecond. In its place she feels a blinding hot rage. Shooting up from her desk chair, she begins pacing her room. She has to call Madge now. If for no reason other than to talk her out of going to Peeta's family bakery and murdering him with her bare hands.

Madge answers on the second ring. "Hey hon, what's up?"

"This is all your fault! I took your advice and now he has a screenshot of my naked body!" She's seething, yelling her frustrations at her best friend.

A moment of silence passes before Madge responds.

"Um. Yeah Katniss that's kind of how nudes work. Gale's gotta have something for his spank bank."

Katniss releases a low growl as she spins on her heel to continue pacing her room. "Not Gale! Somehow I accidentally sent it to Peeta. As in Mellark. You know, golden boy of the entire state of Panem. And I got a notification that he took a screenshot of it, Madge! What the fuck am I going to do? Why would he do that? He doesn't even know me!" She can't control the words tumbling out of her mouth. She hears Madge inhale deeply before responding.

"Wow. Well, obviously he took a screenshot of you because he's spent the last twelve years of his life making googly eyes at you and you have a rockin' bod. You probably made all of his dreams come true."

"Madge," Katniss is not in the mood for her friend's idea of humor, "he has not. Focus. What am I going to do?"

"Just ask him about it tomorrow. I mean, how bad was the pic? Like, full junk?"

"Gross! No way. It was just my stomach mostly." Her anger is slowly draining from her, but her embarrassment is in full force. Katniss can feel the tips of her ears burning from her shame. There is a reason Katniss Everdeen is not the kind of girl who sends risqué photos and this is it.

"Okay, well no need to panic yet. He's a nice guy, at least you know he won't post it everywhere. Just talk to him tomorrow, maybe it's all a misunderstanding."

Katniss has to agree, she can't spend the rest of the night panicking. And Peeta is a good guy as far as she knows. She can only hope that he won't turn into a huge sleaze before she can talk to him tomorrow.

She says her goodbyes to Madge and returns to her desk. There is no way she's going to be able to concentrate on her calculus now. She briefly debates sending Peeta a message on Snapchat, but she knows she'll have to face him eventually and doesn't want to risk making the situation worse.

\-----

She's sure she wakes up with the flu. She has cancer or something. She's dying, she just hasn't decided how yet. There is no way Katniss can face Peeta at school today. She pulls her covers over her head, debating her options until her alarm goes off.

She finally decides that she can either stay home hiding and risk him showing all his friends or go and confront him about the picture. She knows she is considerably smaller and weaker than him, but she isn't below taking her bow and arrow to school with her. If worse comes to worst he can run fast, but she's a killer shot.

She drags her tired body out of bed and dresses. She tossed and turned all night, only managing to fall asleep sometime around two. Prim is already halfway through a bowl of cereal when Katniss makes it downstairs, their mother is sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. Her scrubs let Katniss know she's just gotten home from the hospital not long ago. She grabs a pack of mini muffins from the cupboard and her keys from the bowl in the hall. The sisters kiss their mother goodbye and head to school.

Parking her old Jeep in her assigned spot in the senior lot in front of the school, Katniss starts to mentally steel herself. She knows Peeta has art for a zero period before school starts. She has exactly two minutes to whip herself into a badass before facing him. Prim pays no mind to her, quickly gathering her things before running off to meet her best friend Rue at the school entrance.

Sitting alone in her car, Katniss takes three deep breaths and gives herself the best pep talk she can manage. "It's just a misunderstanding. But I'll fuck him up if I have to. Come on Everdeen, let's go." She grabs her back pack and slings it over her shoulder, locking her car as she leaves the parking lot.

She's purposefully dressed as cool-girl-without-trying as she can manage, if only for her own benefit. Black skinny jeans with rips at the knees meet her heavy black combat boots. All the better for ball kicking if need be she'd thought when lacing them up earlier. A charcoal gray tank top that is tighter than what she normally wears is underneath a light olive green jacket. She's swiped some lip gloss and mascara on, just in case she needs to attempt to flirt her way out of this, praying she won't have to because flirting has never been her strong suit. Her standard braid rests over her shoulder. She isn't usually one for looks, but she knows she looks good today and she is hoping that will help her cause.

She focuses on her breathing as she makes her way into the high school and up the two flights of stairs to the senior lockers. Mellark is on the opposite end of the hall from Everdeen, but she is well aware of where his locker is, having passed it a million times. 

Thankfully, when she steps out of the stairwell, she can see that he isn't at his locker yet. It would only make this more painfully awkward if he saw her coming all the way down the hall. Or worse, turned and left before she could catch him.

Their high school is shaped like a big U. The long hall with lockers has two halls jutting off either end, where the class rooms are held. As she approaches his locker, it seems the odds will be in her favor this morning. She sees his blond head pop around the corner of the arts and music hall just in time for her to plant her feet in front of his locker.

He's looking at his phone in his hand, his brow furrowed at whatever is on the screen. She had decided when she woke this morning that she was pissed at him. Katniss will stand her ground and if he gives her any trouble, she will contemplate beating his ass if need be. But seeing him now, watching him walk towards her in his perfect fitting dark jeans, his blue henley stretched across his broad shoulders, she has to curse herself as the blood starts creeping into her cheeks.

Peeta's almost right on top of her before he sees her boots and quickly looks up. She hates the easy smile that spreads across his lips. Is he really going to act as if he doesn't have a half naked photo of her on his stupid phone?

"Hey Katniss. Don't usually see anyone else here this early. How's it going?"

She's been wearing her scowl all morning, but she feels her eyes narrow at him.

"Really Mellark? I'm just great," her tone is biting. Sarcasm is her first line of defense after all.

Peeta lets out a small chuckle, his smile growing broader and making his impossibly blue eyes crinkle at the corners. "Well, good to hear."

Katniss blows out a huff of air. "Seriously Peeta. Obviously that picture wasn't meant for you. It was a mistake." She tries to keep eye contact with him, but finds it easier to stare at the junction of his throat and chest, into the divot between his collarbones. It proves to be a poor decision on her part though, as the blush only seems to seep further into her skin. She quickly moves her eyes to the floor beyond his shoulder. That seems safe enough.

At the sound of his laugh though, her eyes snap back to his. Her rage is coming back anew.

"What is so fucking funny? Just delete it! I don't know why you needed to take a screenshot of it anyway. That's fucking creepy."

If he's offended, he certainly doesn't show it. In fact, he seems calmer than ever. Smug. That's what Peeta Mellark is. Her back is to his locker and she suddenly finds herself pinned there as he brings his left hand up to the metal behind her head. With his right hand gripping the pack slung across his shoulder, he leans in so close their noses are almost touching.

She feels the air leaving her as she desperately tries to remember why she is beginning to hate Peeta Mellark. Katniss is certain she could swim into the depths of his cerulean eyes. His breath is sweet and hot as it fans across her face.

"Come on Everdeen, you know exactly why I want a copy," his eyes roam down her body, stopping at the swatch of her exposed abdomen. Damn her too tight tank top for riding up when she hadn't been paying attention. His tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip and she has to shake her head just to get him out of it enough for her to breathe.

There is no denying Peeta Mellark is beautiful. She's always known it, but she never knew the effect he would have on her at such close range. When she finally speaks, her voice is as thin as if she's gone too long without any water.

"What could you possibly want with it?"

When the right side of his mouth quirks up into a half smile, she can see the small dimple in his cheek perfectly.

"Lunch."

Her scowl is back. She blinks at him a few times before processing his request.

"...Lunch?" Forget how hot he is, he's clearly certifiable. "What the hell do you mean you want lunch?"

"I mean, I'll delete the picture if you agree to have lunch with me tomorrow."

So he must be a creep after all. Her stomach twists, but her heart speeds up in new found anger.

"You're going to blackmail me?! What the actual fuck Peeta Mellark!" She puts her small hands on his broad chest and gives him a shove. Whatever game he's playing, she isn't participating. He's quick on his feet though, never one to be thrown off his game. Katniss turns to storm down the hall towards her locker, just as the first bell rings out.

Peeta catches her wrist as she passes him, pulling her back to face him. "Come on Everdeen, would lunch with me really be that bad?" His tone isn't teasing or leering. Instead she hears he is genuinely curious. His fingers on her wrist give her pause, the small jolt of electricity at his touch calming her rage. She can't bring herself to break his gaze. Even Katniss has to admit that lunch is better than having her naked torso posted all over the internet.

A few students are just beginning to make their way into the hallway when she speaks.

"Just lunch? And you swear you'll get rid of it?" She watches as his face lights up once more.

"Scout's honor. I'll pick you up tomorrow at noon." He drops her hand and turns to make his way back down the arts hall. Katniss stands staring after him in shock for a minute. Halfway down the hall, he turns back to her.

"Oh and Everdeen, you're breathtaking," he calls as he turns into his first class. For the second time that morning, the air completely leaves Katniss's lungs. The hall has become mostly packed with her zombie like classmates before Katniss has the wherewithal to turn and head to her locker. What the hell just happened between her and Peeta Mellark?

\-----

At lunch, Madge continues to squeal as Katniss retells the events of her morning.

"I can't believe it! You've got a date with Peeta!" Which she quickly follows with "Holy shit, Katniss! You've got a date with Peeta... I have to come over and help you pick out an outfit!"

Katniss can't help but huff in disapproval. "Madge, come on. It isn't a date. Guys like Peeta don't date girls like me. And besides I have Gale."

"Gale schmale. He's an hour away at State. Come on Kat, it's senior year. And it's just lunch. It's not like he asked you to have his babies." Katniss is almost positive Madge adds "yet" to her sentence as she turns to get her sandwich from her lunch bag. 

"Thank goodness it's already Friday so you only have to wait a day before your big date!" Madge chirps as she turns back to face Katniss. She can't help but think that with friends like Madge, a day is plenty long enough.

\-----

Katniss eventually relents and agrees to let Madge follow her home after school. It may be a harmless lunch, but she can't deny she needs as much help preparing as she can get. After the girls enjoy dinner with her mother and sister, Katniss and Madge make their way to her bedroom. Without hesitating Madge begins digging through Katniss's closet.

"I know I was with you when you bought, like, ninety percent of this stuff, so you've got to have something that will be acceptable in here." Katniss can't help but roll her eyes as she makes her way to her bed, grabbing a book from her desk as she goes. Madge loves this kind of stuff, so best to just get comfortable and let her do her thing.

After about fifteen minutes of Madge rooting around while grunting her disapproval, she finally emerges from the closet with a few shirt options.

"He didn't say anything about where he was taking you?" she asks.

"Nope. He just said lunch at noon. I don't know why I have to worry about what I look like, it's not a date." Katniss scowls in her direction.

Never one to be deterred from a fashion mission, Madge makes her way to the bed with her choices in hand.

"Okay. So we should plan for anything," she replies brightly. Her eyebrows knit together before she turns back to Katniss's closet.

"Change of plans," Madge says as she carefully replaces the shirts and pulls out a simple navy blue dress that Katniss had forgotten she even owned. Eyeing the soft fabric, Katniss can't believe her oldest friend would chose this for her.

"No way, Madge. That probably doesn't even fit me. I'm pretty sure it's something my mom wore."

"Exactly! It's vintage. It'll be perfect." She holds the garment up like a trophy.

"A dress screams date. I've never even worn a dress to go out with Gale!" She's not sure why she's fighting her. Katniss knows Madge will get her way, and she can't deny as much as she would love to wear an old t-shirt and ripped jeans, the dress is lovely.

"It'll compliment his eyes too," Madge says with a hit of mischief in her voice. "He'll lose it when he sees you. It's perfect."

"And what if he just wants to go to McDonalds or something?" Katniss asks skeptically.

"Be serious," Madge admonishes. "Stop pretending like you don't know that boy has been dying to take you out since he learned what a date was. And besides, if it all goes to shit at least you'll have peace of mind knowing you looked amazing."

"Madge, if he wanted to take me on a date so badly, why has he never even bothered to have a real conversation with me?" As much as she wishes she could brush this entire situation off, her nerves are starting to get to her. It can't possibly be true that Peeta would want anything from her, much less a romantic relationship.

Madge moves to drape the dress over the back of Katniss's desk chair before coming to sit by her on her bed.

"I don't know, Kat. Boys are weird. And you can be a little intimidating," she says with a small laugh. "Maybe he just needed the perfect opportunity. I just know I've seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. Maybe he does just want to be friends, but what do you have to lose either way."

Katniss releases a puff of breath before laying back on her bed.

"My other best friend for one." She pictures Gale in her minds eye. She hasn't heard from him all day, she realizes.

As if on cue, her phone starts buzzing on her nightstand. She sits up and reads his name on the screen. Taking in a deep breath, she hits ignore and turns to meet Madge's eyes.

"I can call him back later. I don't know what shoes to wear with that dress." Madge's face lights up as the girls continue with their planning.

\-----

Taking a final twirl in front of the full length mirror on the back of her door, Katniss wonders what the hell she was thinking letting Madge talk her into such a not-Katniss outfit. She can't deny that thanks to Madge, she does look pretty nice, but her nerves keep telling her that it's too much. She has no idea what Peeta is planning and she's afraid of looking like a fool.

The deep blue dress that once belonged to her mother fits her much better than she anticipated. The cap sleeves compliment the sweetheart neckline perfectly, showing off the slight swell of her chest. She loves how the skirt flows out around her, hitting just above her knees. She and Madge agreed on simple tan sandals that lace up her ankles to keep it casual. Her dark hair falls in soft waves around her shoulders. Madge had finally relented and agreed that Katniss could get away with a simple coat of eyeliner, mascara and lip tint for makeup.

Katniss glances at the clock for the fifteenth time to verify that it's still 11:54. She gathers the tan clutch that Prim let her borrow and heads down the stairs to await Peeta's arrival. She can't keep herself from gnawing on her bottom lip in anticipation. She feels like her body is a live wire. She can't remember ever being this nervous around Gale.

Gale. She'd called him back after Madge had left last night, but their conversation was short. He was getting ready to go out with some of his new friends. She felt guilty for the relief that flooded her when their call was cut short by his friends yelling at him to hurry his ass up. She hadn't had time to tell him anything about the picture or the subsequent lunch arrangement. After all, it is definitely not a date. She doesn't know why she's so worked up about something so trivial.

Katniss only manages to take deep breaths in an effort to calm herself as she paces the entryway. She can hear the hall clock ticking away. 11:56. They hadn't exchanged numbers so if he was going to stand her up, she would have no way of calling to curse him out. Subsequently, he couldn't call her if he were running late either. If only she could get her mind to calm down.

Prim bounces down the stairs and lets out a low whistle.

"Wow, Kat. I didn't know Gale was coming home this weekend."

She feels heat flood her face. Clearing her throat, she meets Prim's eyes.

"Um. He isn't. I'm just going out to lunch with a friend."

"With Madge?" Katniss doesn't get the chance to answer as the doorbell cuts her sister's line of questioning short. Prim distracted her when he pulled up and now Katniss finds herself glued in her place. With a curious glance at her sister, Prim heads to the door.

It's obvious that Peeta Mellark isn't the person Prim is expecting to find on the other side of the wooden door.

"Peeta? Hey. You're who my sister got all dressed up for?"

"Prim!" Katniss hisses. Her embarrassment moves her feet to action and she strides towards her sister. She can see Peeta clearly now. A light blush stains his cheeks, but it looks like he put some thought into his appearance for her too. She can't deny how nice he looks in his khaki shorts and deep green polo. How fitting that he's wearing her favorite color. She can't help but take it as a sign. Then she notices the single sunflower in his left hand.

Peeta clears his throat after a beat and rocks back on his heels, taking in both of the Everdeen women.

"Hey, Prim. I don't know if she got dressed up for me, but I do owe her some food," He flashes them a warm smile with just a touch of shyness. He seems to remember the sunflower then, holding it up to Katniss as an offering.

"I know it's not a date, but it's rude to show up at a pretty girl's house empty handed," he says. 

Prim glances at her sister, a mischievous smirk on her face. "How lovely. Katniss, isn't that lovely?" she asks. Katniss gives a single nod of agreement before Prim reaches out to take the flower. "I'll go put this in some water for you, Kat. You kids have fun," she says with a wink at her sister. Katniss scowls at Prim's back as she turns and heads toward the kitchen.

"Okay, grandma," she mutters into the empty hallway behind her. She finally turns to meet Peeta's eyes. She wants to have a good time, but she can't forget that this is all a transaction born from blackmail. The conflicting feelings are proving to be too much for her to process, leaving her unable to decide if she's going to be annoyed the entire afternoon or allow herself to enjoy his company.

"Hi Peeta," she sighs. "Let's get this non-date over with." He moves to the side of the door frame, releasing a quiet chuckle as she crosses the threshold and closes the door behind her.

"It's just lunch Katniss. I promise not to bite," he says. She tries to remember if he's ever called her anything other than "Everdeen." She decides that he makes her name sound lovely.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he adds after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, I bet I'm hardly recognizable in all this fabric," she snorts.

He just smiles to himself as they walk towards his SUV. He opens her door for her and presses the pads of his fingers to her lower back as she lifts herself into the seat. The light contact sends shivers up her spine.

As he crosses in front of the blue-grey car, she takes in the dashboard. Mellark's Bakery is the most popular bakery in the southeastern United States and everyone in their small town knows it has gifted the three Mellark sons with a brand new vehicle of their choice on their seventeenth birthday. Katniss can't help but let the loaded, cement colored 4Runner impress her. With this kind of ride, she's fully expecting a five course meal for all the trouble Peeta is putting her through. When he opens his door, his easy smile still in place as he looks her over.

"Never thought I'd have Katniss Everdeen in my car. Best non-date I've ever been on," he chuckles as he starts the car and pulls away from the curb.

"Oh, just wait for the thrilling conversation," she jokes. His eyes hold a hint of mirth and she surprises herself when she feels the corners of her mouth quirk up. 

"So Romeo, where are you taking me?"

"How do you feel about surprises?" he asks.

"I'm not a huge fan, but I'm going to trust that you at least know your way around food."

"Ah, yeah. I might know a thing or two," he says with a laugh.

She lets herself get comfortable in the seat beside him as he heads towards the interstate. So far, everything is going well. And she didn't even trip on the way to his car. Thankfully her nerves seem to be calming down.

Peeta has his radio turned to the only alternative station in town and she can't help but sing along. She's staring out the window as the final chords of the second song fade into a commercial break. Feeling eyes on her, she turns to meet Peeta's gaze. She gives him a questioning look but he just shakes his head, that smile still on his lips, and turns his attention back to the road.

She isn't sure exactly why he has so many reasons to smile, but they feel like sunshine when he directs them at her. Her warring thoughts are starting to betray her so she brings Gale's face to the front of her mind. She lets out a long exhale as she reminds herself this isn't a date. This is lunch with a guy who currently possesses and used the most embarrassing photo of her as a bargaining chip. She doesn't even try to stop her face as it crumbles into her typical scowl. Peeta must look over at her again, because he takes note of the change.

"Come on Katniss. I already deleted that picture. I just figured this was fate's way of telling me my window of opportunity to get to know you was quickly closing. I know it was a dick move, but I really think we'll have a good time. It's just lunch."

She can't help but wonder why he keeps repeating "it's just lunch" like some sort of mantra. Is he trying to reassure her or keep his own expectations in line? Bringing her hand to her temple, she releases a quiet sigh.

"I just can't figure out what you want from me. What your expectations are."

Confusion seems to briefly cross his features.

"I expect to have a nice lunch with a girl who will hopefully want to continue being friends with me after I take her home." She rolls his words around in her mind for a minute.

"Alright," she can do friends and she can definitely do lunch. "I'm starving." She doesn't try to stop the full, teeth-revealing smile that breaks out on her face.

\-----

Another fifteen minutes of driving brings them to a restaurant Katniss has never been to. The white facade doesn't look too intimidating and she can see a beautifully expansive lake sitting at the back of the property. She waits as Peeta moves around to open her door for her again. She tries not to notice that Gale has never even thought of being so chivalrous. 

She gladly accepts the forearm Peeta holds out for her as she moves to hop down from her seat. She lands without a sound as the skirt of her dress flutters around her thighs. Katniss pretends not to see Peeta's eyes glued to her skin and the blush that heats up his neck. He clears his throat before speaking.

"Lakeside dining an okay surprise?" Peeta asks, failing or not bothering to hide the hopefulness in his voice.

She feels her heart speed up in her chest when she meets his intoxicatingly blue eyes.

"It looks perfect."

The two make their way to the building, Sae's is above the dark wooden doors in a delicate gold script. The two make their way to the hostess stand inside the cavernous lobby. The restaurant is two stories with black tile floors and dark cherry wood accents throughout. Katniss takes in as much as she can while Peeta informs the hostess of his reservation.

"Reservations for lunch?" she asks him.

"Yeah. I just wanted to make sure we got one of the good tables," he says. She nods her head in understanding as the hostess prepares to lead them to their table. She wants to be annoyed by how grand everything seems. The restaurant, his car, even Peeta himself. But he isn't being pompous, this is just what he's used to. He doesn't for a second make her feel inferior for not being on a first name basis with seemingly all of the staff at Sae's. She follows behind Peeta and the hostess, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

She wasn't expecting "one of the good tables" to be out on the covered deck, above the water. She can hear the water lapping at the posts below the deck, the cool September breeze leaving a trail of goosebumps on her arms. Katniss has never been on such a breath-taking non-date.

"Peeta," she sighs, taking in the lush green forest that lines the expansive lake. "This is too much. This is...amazing." He just watches her, loving that he's the reason she's so at peace.

"It's just lunch," he reminds her quietly. She brings her full attention back to his face.

"I swear, if you say that one more time," she laughs. Any lingering nerves she had are completely soothed by her surroundings. She looks over the menu, as their waiter comes to take their drink orders. Once he's retreated back into the restaurant, Katniss looks out onto the lake.

"This reminds me of my father. He used to take me to the lake every weekend," she says wistfully. This year would mark five years since her father's passing. Peeta's face goes pale.

"Katniss. I didn't even think. I'm so sorry."

She meets his eyes.

"No, I love it. I couldn't avoid memories of him if I wanted to. And I really don't. He was the best man I've ever known." She smiles at his memory. She'll always hate the drunk driver that took her father from her, but she goes through great lengths to make sure the memory of her father never dulls.

When the waiter returns to take their lunch orders, Katniss asks what he recommends. They agree that the shrimp gumbo will suit her well and Peeta grins at her as he orders a filet of salmon. He even lets her try a taste of his dish when it arrives. The flavors bursting on her tongue are so wonderful she briefly considers making him her new best friend, sorry Madge.

Katniss had worried the evening before what they would have to talk about, but they are never wanting for conversation topics. She learns that he's been accepted early to and earned a full athletic scholarship to Panem State next year. He can't wait to get away from their small town, he tells her. She tells him that she's still filling out scholarship and college applications, but she'll get a decent amount of assistance from the state since her father is deceased. When they find themselves in silence, it is companionable. Katniss feels so comfortable in his presence that she genuinely hopes this friends business works out.

When Peeta pulls out his wallet to pay, Katniss doesn't make a sound of protest. After all, this was the exchange for deleting her picture. She's surprised at how she isn't really worried about whether or not he truly deleted the image. She knows he would never use it to hurt her, and if they ever get around to going swimming together, he'd see the same expanse of skin. She's had such a good time, she knows she'll let it go.

On the drive home, she turns his radio to a pop station and Peeta joins her in belting out the corny songs as they blast through his open windows. She doesn't think she'll ever forget the happiness swelling in her chest, the feel of her hair swirling around her face, or the way Peeta looks when the sun illuminates his face.

"Hey. Could I interest you in a detour?" he asks when they're about five minutes from her house.

"Sure," she feels so light and so full at the same time that she doubts she could deny him any request right now.

Instead of turning left toward her house, Peeta turns right toward a park Katniss is quite familiar with. When they pull into the parking lot, Peeta continues straight down the gravel trail meant for off road vehicles. Katniss is extremely familiar with this path, taking her father's beat up Jeep Wrangler down it most Saturdays. Peeta doesn't miss the way her face lights up when he pulls his SUV off the gravel trail and down into an empty meadow.

"Oh man. This is your place, isn't it?" he asks, his face looking like a kid on Christmas morning.

She ducks her head with a smile.

"Yup. My family used to picnic here all the time," she remembers. "Come on, lets explore."

This time, she doesn't wait for him to come around and open her door. She can't contain her excitement at sharing this place with him.

"How did you know this was here? I thought we kept it pretty quiet."

She watches as his face clouds over for a second. He brings his hand to the back of his neck to rub some unseen tension.

"I found it by accident actually. Sometimes things get to be too much at home, so I started driving around a lot. I just happened to come across this place a few months ago."

Katniss feels the happiness she'd been holding in her chest slip. She's paid attention to Peeta all these years. She knows he participated in as many sports as he could so he'd have an escape plan. And an excuse for the bruises his mother left on him. A rich family and brand new car just don't seem worth the price of being a Mellark. Peeta must sense her darkening mood, because he shakes his own head, making his soft curls sway.

"I didn't know this was your place, but I guess stranger things have happened than me finding it with you. Anything in particular I should know about?"

She fixes a conspiratory grin on her face, walking ahead of him. He follows obediently, his thundering footfalls echoing in the quiet of the beautiful field. They walk for about five minutes, passing patches of berries and wild flowers as they navigate the thick grass. Katniss comes to a flat bolder hidden behind a scattering of small trees. The surface is large enough for two people to comfortably lay.

"If this friends things works out for us, we have to come back on a clear night," she says as she positions herself on the rock. She tries to be delicate with her dress, but she's beyond caring about flashing Peeta Mellark. "The stars are unbelievable out here."

He smiles at her proclamation and the promise of a future with her as friends.

\-----

She left her clutch and therefore her phone in his car, so she has no way of knowing how long they've been laying side by side in the quiet. The growling of her stomach is her only way of knowing they've spent most of the afternoon together. She sits up and looks Peeta over.

His eyes are closed, his face pink from the brief exposure to the sun before the trees fully shaded their resting place. She stares at his eyelashes, so impossibly long and blond. Her eyes work their way down his to his chest. She watches as it rises and falls with his breathing. 

She's lost somewhere in the light smattering of freckles on his forearms when he stirs. She doesn't know if he'd actually been asleep or if he'd been watching her check out every cell on his body. Katniss can't find it in herself to care either way. He's worthy of being admired. She's almost disappointed when he moves to sit up beside her.

"We should probably get you home soon. Wouldn't want your sister to worry too much."

She scoffs. "I doubt she's paying any attention to my whereabouts, but you're probably right," she sighs. As they make their way back to his car, Katniss refuses to examine the feeling of loss swelling in her chest. She's had a wonderful afternoon and she's grateful that she can now officially call Peeta Mellark a friend.

The two sit in her driveway for a minute before she makes a move to leave.

"You know, I should probably give you my number. I mean, just in case you ever need a friend for lunch again," she says.

Peeta has to work hard to keep his face from splitting in two from his smile, desperately trying to appear unfazed as he hands her his phone for her to put in her information. After calling her own number from his phone, she hands it back to him.

"Thanks for a great afternoon Peeta. It might have even been worth all the trouble," she says as she opens her door to slip out of his car. He's chuckling as she closes the door and makes her way up her cracked driveway. She turns to wave goodbye to him once she reaches her front porch.

She's watching him back out of her drive when the front door flies open. Prim bounds out, descending upon Katniss like a wolf on raw meat.

"How was it? Was he a good kisser? Does this mean you're going to dump Gale? Where did y'all go?" She doesn't even bother breathing between her questions.

"Woah, Prim! It was just lunch. As friends. And no, I'm not dumping Gale." She tries not to be bothered by her sisters questions as the pair make their way inside. Katniss can hear her mother preparing dinner in their kitchen. She remembers the days after her father's death when her mother couldn't do anything for herself, much less her children. It's been a long road, but even hearing her mother cooking a meal brings a sense of contentment to Katniss.

"I'm going to change, not another word about Peeta!" she says to Prim. Katniss doesn't miss the disgruntled look her younger sister throws her way as she makes her way up the stairs.

She gently closes her bedroom door behind her, resting her back on it as she takes in the small space. She touches her fingers to the smile that seems to have taken up residency on her face. It was a good afternoon. If she's honest with herself, she had a better time with Peeta than on any of her dates with Gale.

She frowns at the thought, pushing her weight off the door. She moves to set her clutch down on her bed and sits to unlace her sandals. After she's slipped them off, she lays back on her bed. Just because they had a nice time doesn't mean Peeta is interested in being anything more than friends. Katniss isn't even sure if she's interested in being anything more than Peeta's friend. But the longer she sits with her thoughts of their time together, the more she realizes that she and Gale have a few things to discuss.

\-----

Katniss is surprised by the amount of texting her and Peeta do throughout the week. He'd convinced her that as friends, it was imperative that they discuss "the deep stuff" like one another's favorite color. When he told her his was orange, she couldn't help but wonder if he had taken note of the barely visible strip of her bra that had been in that tragic Snapchat pic. She felt her body flush just thinking about him.

When she mentions her favorite local bookstore to him, he insists that she take him on a tour the following Saturday. Katniss can't believe that in a town this small, Peeta has never been to The Hob, but she isn't going to complain about an excuse to browse the bargain book aisle.

Wednesday night, she's sitting at her desk working on an English paper when her phone lights up with Gale's smiling face. She feels her chest tighten. She and Peeta had been almost painfully friendly with one another, but she's beginning to get anxious about how things are going with Gale. Katniss is almost positive that bringing up the accidental snap and resulting lunch to Gale would do more harm than good. She wants to believe that what he doesn't know won't hurt him, but it makes her feel like a liar to keep it from him.

"Hey you. Finally get a break from your classes?" she asks him when she answers.

"Yeah. Signing up for eighteen credit hours my first semester might have been a mistake," he chuckles. She knows how hard he's working to try to earn dual engineering degrees in four years.

"You've always been stubborn, Gale Hawthorne. If anyone can do it, I know you can."

She can practically hear his smile through the line.

"Thanks, Kat. Hey listen," she hears him take a deep breath. He sounds more distant than normal. She questions if she's projecting her own questions about their relationship on to him. "I'm actually calling to let you know I'll be home this weekend. I was hoping we could maybe, um, get together sometime."

She wonders why he's asking her to hang out like they don't have an unspoken agreement to spend time together whenever he's able to come home. She thinks about her plans to meet Peeta at The Hob Saturday afternoon. She can always ask him to meet earlier if she needs to.

"Yeah, absolutely," she tells him.

"Great. Well, I better get back at it," he says.

They say their goodbyes and Katniss places her phone back on her desk. She thinks that he could have just text her that he was coming home. That had to have been the shortest phone conversation the two have shared. Refusing to read too far into the call, she focus her attention back to her paper.

\-----

Friday after school she finds Peeta leaning against her Jeep in the student parking lot. She refuses to feel like she's committing a crime when she smiles at him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asks him when she reaches him.

"I don't think so. But you've probably heard of me. Brilliant. Talented. Gorgeous," he's ticking qualities off on his fingers when she lands a soft slap to his bicep.

"You really are too much, Mellark. I don't know how you have one friend, let alone a whole school of them," she says. He scoffs at her accusation as he stands up to his full height.

"So what can I do you for?" she asks. Katniss loves the little blush that fans across his face at her words.

"I just wanted to make sure we were still on for tomorrow."

Katniss pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. She's been thinking over asking him for a rain check. Gale had text that he was planning to arrive early tomorrow morning and she's not sure if she should make herself available to him. He must see her thoughts on her face.

"Come on, Everdeen, I thought our first date went swimmingly!" he says.

She doesn't remind him that it wasn't a date.

"It did. It's just. Well. Gale is coming home tomorrow and I'm just not sure what he's going to want to do while he's here," her words rush out of her mouth, as if telling him is like ripping a band-aid off. She sees his eyes cloud over for a split second before he rights his expression.

"Of course. Boyfriends before boy friends and all that," he laughs, but the sound is forced.

"Maybe we could go Sunday? He usually leaves after lunch on Sundays."

"Yeah, totally. Just text me. Have a good weekend, Everdeen," he says as he starts to make his way to his own car just a few spaces away.

She misses the way her name sounds from his mouth, but she tries not to linger on the thought.

\-----

Gale arrives at her house at 9 with the promise of waffles. It is physically impossible for Katniss to refuse food, so she kisses her mother and sister goodbye and heads to Gale's hand me down Chevy. Just like she had inherited her father's Jeep after he passed, Gale inherited his father's truck when he passed away in an accident at the factory where he worked. She's always loved the bench seat in his truck. She could sit right beside him if she wanted. Today, however, she chooses to sit close enough to the passenger's window so she can take advantage of the cool breeze on her face.

They make small talk about their respective classes as they make the short drive to Abernathy's. The grumpy old grill cook grunts at the pair in acknowledgment when they walk in. Abernathy's has been a staple in both of their families since before Katniss and Gale were born.

The pair settle in to a booth with cracked leather and a chipped Formica table. They seem to have run out of topics to catch up on after the waitress comes for their order. Katniss wrings her fingers in nervous anticipation. Things are usually so easy with Gale, but there's a silent storm surrounding them today. She wishes she could tell if it's all in her head or if Gale feels it too. After a long discussion with Madge, Katniss has decided that telling Gale about the snap isn't worth the rampage that he would go on.

"So," she tries when she's halfway through her thick waffle, but finds herself without anything to say. Haymitch Abernathy might be a grumpy old drunk, but he makes the best waffles in the state so she shovels a large bite into her mouth.

Gale looks up at her, seeming to be done with his omelette. He pushes his plate away from himself as he sits back against the booth. He clears his throat and runs his hands down his jean clad thighs before speaking.

"Katniss. I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to do the best I can."

He's breaking up with her. Suddenly her waffle feels like a sponge in her mouth. Her eyes go wide. She can't look him in the eyes for this, so she glues her gaze to the plate in front of her.

"It's just," he continues, "we just kind of rushed into things right before I left. I know we've been friends forever, but I don't think we really got into the groove of a couple before I had to up and leave. And you know how busy I've been at school. I just think you deserve more attention and I can't afford to be distracted from all of my classes right now. I just... Please don't be mad." 

His words are quiet and rushed, so Katniss has to take a few minutes to process them. Her hands have gone cold and she thinks she's supposed to be angry. Or crying. Something, right? But suddenly her hands start to tingle and everything he's said clicks in to place. She's been building herself up to this moment all week. They were built to be friends and it seems Gale figured it out at the same time as Katniss. After another minute of silence, she can see Gale tensing in his seat.

"Kat, please say something."

She looks up from where her eyes have been fixed on her food. His grey eyes look so familiar to her, almost the exact shade of the ones she sees in the mirror every day. The corners of her mouth pull up into a slight smile.

"I'm not mad. I think you're right." He inspects her closely, looking for the catch in her words. When he sees she's being truthful, she watches as relief washes over his features.

"So, we can still be friends right?" he asks.

She gives him a full smile in return.

"No harm, no fowl, Hawthorne. And now we know we'll never wonder what could have been." His returning smile is brilliant. She picks up her fork and resumes devouring her waffle. The two finish their meal with the easy banter they've always shared. Gale is loving his new college life and spends the rest of the meal telling Katniss all about his new suite mates.

\-----

Katniss is grateful that Peeta had agreed to a rain check. After breakfast she and Gale end up spending the rest of the day with their families. It's been a while since the Everdeen and Hawthorne clans have crammed into one house. Katniss can't deny how full her heart feels watching Gale's younger siblings gather around her family's dinner table.

After Gale and his family pack up to head to their house down the street, Katniss heads to her room. She checks her phone. Three texts from Madge asking for every little detail about her day with Gale and a single email notification. She fails to identify what the stinging in her chest is when she doesn't see anything from Peeta.

She pulls up their text conversation, reading over the most recent exchanges. There's only been radio silence since they text each other goodnight Thursday. Looking at the time on her phone, she sees it's just six and smiles to herself when she realizes she has plenty of time. She doesn't think, she just sends him a text. All she can do is hope he'll take her up on her offer.

\-----

At 6:20 she pulls into her meadow. His car isn't there yet, but he does live further away from the park than she does. Katniss has to remind herself to take deep breaths as she makes her way to the flat boulder they'd spent their last Saturday on. She lays back on the smooth surface and allows herself to daydream as the minutes pass.

She isn't sure how much time has passed when she hears his heavy tread. A broad smile finds its way to her face, but she doesn't make a move to alter her position. Peeta stops when he gets right to the rock.

"A secret rendezvous in the woods, Everdeen?" he asks. Katniss can feel the caution radiating from his body.

"Yes. Aren't you going to join me?" When her grey eyes meet his, her breath catches. She doesn't think she'll ever get used to the beautiful blue of his gaze.

As quietly as he can, Peeta lowers himself beside her body. She can feel the heat from his forearm even though he doesn't make a move to touch her. Once her heart is beating fast enough to cause her concern, Katniss sits up. She turns her back to him, in the direction of the sunset that is lighting up the sky.

Peeta moves to join her, this time sitting close enough that their shoulders and thighs touch.

"This is your favorite color, right?" she chances a look at him from under her lashes. He rewards her with one of his beautiful smiles.

"It is. Surrounded by a sea of yours."

"I uh," she starts, but finds her words getting caught in her throat. She takes a deep breath and tries again.

"Gale and I broke up today," she blurts. Peeta swings his face to hers so fast she's worried he'll have whiplash. He meets her gaze for a beat before swallowing.

"You did?" his voice is quiet, questioning.

"We were built to be friends," she explains.

The sun meets the horizon, exploding the sky with a lush sunset. Oranges and yellows swirl into deep reds and purple tints run throughout. Directly above them are the first vestiges of the night stars. Katniss feels it, but her gaze flits from Peeta's eyes to his mouth.

Never one to miss an invitation, Peeta brings his hands to her jaw. Rubbing his thumbs against her cheeks, he waits for her to tell him no. When she doesn't, he brings her mouth to his.

His lips are soft at first, but as she responds to him, he kisses her with more urgency. She feels him in every cell of her body and wonders if his kiss isn't some vital part of her that she's been missing all this time. He's soft and sweet and strong and solid.

When they finally pull apart, he presses his forehead to hers, still cradling her jaw in his hands.

"I guess I can resend you that snap now," she giggles. Giggles!

His mouth is on her again, his hands moving to her waist to pull her closer to him. The colors of the sunset are starting to fade into the night sky when he pulls away.

"I would love that," he whispers to her.

They settle back onto their boulder, her head resting on his chest. His fingers trace patterns on her back as she points out various constellations to him. She admits to herself that accidentally sending Peeta Mellark an almost nude of herself was the best mistake she's ever made.


End file.
